The Effectiveness of Study Skills Training and Systematic Desensitization in Reducing Test Anxiety and Improving Academic Self-Efficacy among A Sample of Tenth Grade Students At Ajloun Governorate

This study aimed at examining the effectiveness of study skills training and systematic desensitization in reducing test anxiety and improving academic self-efficacy among sample of tenth grade students at Ajloun governorate. The population of the study consisted of 186 tenth grade students at a primary school in Ajloon district. To achieve the purpose of the study, two scales were used: An Arabic version of Spielberger's test anxiety scale and an academic self-efficacy scale. Forty-five students were identified as test anxious based on their scores on the test anxiety scale; these students were randomly assigned to three groups (15 per each), two experimental groups and one control group. One of the experimental groups received a study skills training program (SSTP), and the other received systematic desensitization (SD), while the control group didn't receive any treatment program. The result showed that both SSTP and SD were more effective than no treatment in reducing test anxiety in the post test. However the SSTP was the most effective in improving academic self-efficacy in the post test and in the follow-up test.